HYDERABAD: Even as the state government is still in the process of finalising the new districts, land prices are sky-rocketing with thousands of layouts coming up around the proposed new district headquarters in the past three months. Agriculture land is being converted into plots and are being put up for sale. These layouts are being developed by the realtors without proper approvals from the Director of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) and the panchayat raj department has remained a mute spectator to the violations.

For instance, land prices increased to Rs one crore per acre from about Rs 20 to Rs 30 lakh per acre in areas adjoining Mancherial town since March this year. Several layouts were developed in the past couple of months in adjoining villages such as Mulkala and Gudipeta.

The village of Gudipeta, located seven kilometres from Mancherial, is headquarters of 13 Battalion of Telangana Special Police. Now the state government plans to construct a temporary collectorate and office of the superintendent of police on the land belonging to the battalion apart from other parcels such as Bhoodan land on College Road in the town.

While the government is planning to create a Yadadri district with Bhongir as its headquarters, development work at Yadagirigutta temple has already fuelled rapid growth in the surrounding areas. Here too farmers increased the rate from Rs 3 lakh per acre to Rs 20 lakh per acre causing an unforseen impact on project developers.

For instance, developers whose proposals were approved by the Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (SPDCL) to set up solar power energy projects in districts such as Nalgonda and Mahbubnagar, are now complaining about the land price hikes. They brought to the notice of the officials that they cannot acquire land for power plants at such hight rates and as a result, the 2,000 MW power projects are likely to be delayed.

Interestingly though there is uncertainty over new district status to Jangaon in Warangal, the local realtors are making hay claiming the state government is in favour of Jangaon. "People are keen on knowing locations where temporary collectorates are to come up and where land is being allotted for construction of permanent collectorates. Land prices around major town are on the rise," R Krishna Prasad, who developed a layout near Gudipeta (Mancherial) told TOI.

With land transactions on the rise, the sub-registrar offices are now seen crowded in many towns. In Nagarkurnool in Mahbubnagar district, there is a jump in number of property transactions. Now the sub-registrar office is reportedly receiving about 20 documents a day from about 2 to 3 registrations earlier.

Meanwhile, according to layout rules, the town and country planning department at the district level is empowered to approve layouts in 2.5 acres and DTCP, regional offices will approve layouts of up to 10 acres and for layouts over 10 acres, the director's office has to give approvals. "The mushrooming of illegal layouts have come to our notice, especially in the proposed new districts headquarters. The issue was taken to the notice of the panchayat raj department and it has to take a call on it," director of DTCP Anand Babu told TOI.